


What Remains Stays in the Heart

by Luvless34



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, F/M, Family, First Crush, First Love, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Reminiscing, Returning Home, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27814705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luvless34/pseuds/Luvless34
Summary: Taking place in the timeline of FFVII Remake, Avalanche arrives in Nibelheim while pursuing Sephiroth, only to discover that the hometown of Cloud and Tifa wasn't burned down. Confused and haunted by their feelings, the two are left wondering what it means to be home in a place that was taken away from them.After experiencing the losses of their collective grief, Cloud and Tifa soon realize that what home means to them.
Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	What Remains Stays in the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously, we don't know how Remake is going to take on the Nibelheim Incident yet, or what the actual scenario is going to be like when they come to Nibelheim in Pt. 2 I hope. So, this is just a moment that I hope gets fleshed out even more for Cloud and Tifa as they return to the place where they almost lost each other. 
> 
> It doesn't get fleshed out in their return visit, and so I hope Remake gives them more Cloti moments in this point of the game where OG didn't.

It’s been several weeks since Avalanche started their quest searching for the elusive Sephiroth all over Gaia. Their journey took them to the far reaches of the Planet from their exodus of Midgar to evading the Midgar Zolom on Chocobos. They spent time eluding the Turks and Shinra at Junon and even took some time soaking up the sun in Costa del Sol. 

They were accused of murdering scores of people at the Gold Saucer, where they cleared their names through Chocobo racing, and eventually found themselves in the ruined village of Gongaga, where a reactor had exploded in the past, leaving people dead and struggling to survive each day. 

When they stayed in Cosmo Canyon, they realized the depths of family and their place in the universe. That their mission in trying to save the Planet might only prolong the inevitable, but renewed their resolve to stop Sephiroth at whatever cost and divert his plans. 

Throughout all of this, Avalanche had only grown. What started off with just Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart and Barret Wallace, now included Aerith Gainsborough, a beautiful Cetra and flower peddler of the slums; Nanaki, or otherwise known as Red XIII, a beast who was experimented on by Professor Hojo and now is the guardian of Cosmo Canyon; 

and recently encountered Yuffie Kisaragi, the self-proclaimed White Rose of Wutai and the chief’s daughter who partakes in the arts of the ninja (and is a bit Materia obsessed). 

Among their number also included an animatronic cat named Cait Sith. Though a bit unreliable in its lucky-based attacks, it was no wonder that they would cause stares wherever they went. After having stayed a night over in the beautiful red earthen canyons of Nanaki’s home, Avalanche made their way across the river in a buggy.

While this ride seemed normal for the rest of the group, it was one that brought Tifa’s stomach in knots. She never anticipated seeing the peaks of Mt. Nibel again in her life, and when the buggy slowly headed in that familiar direction, she could hardly breathe. 

Cloud seemed stoic during all of this, but every now and then Tifa would catch him zoning out and deep in thought. After having just found each other in Midgar a few weeks ago, she worried about his mental condition as he experienced head pain and his character seemed out of sorts. 

For the last few nights, Tifa couldn’t really bring herself to talk about her hometown. Cloud would share about their past traumatic experience of witnessing Nibelheim burn to the ground and seeing their friends and family getting massacred by Sephiroth’s hand, Tifa never really chimed in with her own version of events. 

There was a reason for that, but mostly, she kept her worries to herself and let Cloud continue to lead their group as best as he could. While on their way to the foot of Mt. Nibel, she was bracing for what she might see: A blackened and destroyed ruin of what her life used to be, and a physical representation of what Shinra stole from her. 

Drumming against the window of the buggy, Tifa watched the rolling scenery. She felt her heartbeat rapidly change and her palms grow sweaty, the fighter was worried for herself but also for Cloud’s mental wellbeing heading to a place that might just be more traumatizing than cathartic. 

Cloud, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, seemed to realize that Tifa was struggling with this journey and tried to engage her in conversation while keeping his eye on the road. 

“You OK?” He asked quietly. The rest of Avalanche were quietly sleeping in the backseat, having been on the road for several hours. Tifa, who was sitting in the passenger side, was trying to ease her anxiety by breathing deep and keeping herself focused. 

“Honestly...not really.” 

“I know, I feel the exact same way.”

Tifa turned her gaze towards Cloud, and felt extremely uncomfortable about the destination. Not for what she might experience, but for what her friend might be thinking. There was something hidden deep down that Tifa wanted to talk about with Cloud, but there was a deep fear that something worse might happen if she did. 

There were opportunities, but then, Tifa always ended up biting her lip and keeping it to herself. She wanted so much to know what Cloud was thinking and what he thought about returning home after all these years, but she knew it might bring up bad memories back up to the surface like a storm that’s determined to sink a ship. 

Sneaking glances at Cloud, she realized how tired he looked. While having grown to be handsome and cool, Tifa couldn’t help but notice that he had some aura of illness to him. His mako-blue eyes flickered and glowed every now and then, causing her to remember something that President Shinra mentioned back at the bombing of the Sector 5 Reactor:

* * *

_Upon running out of the reactor with the bomb set to blow, Tifa, Cloud and Barret made their way onto the bridge leading out of the facility. Just as they were prepared to escape, several guards blocked their way out, and robot guards hovered above them._

_Suddenly, a large projection of President Shinra looking down at the three of them glowed an eerie, cold blue as he frowned at them._

_“President Shinra?!” Barret called out. A droid zipped through the air and analyzed the three Avalanche members, before its sights locked in on Cloud specifically._

_“Oho. The eyes of one who was bathed in Mako,” the hologram of President Shinra raised his hand. “Which would make you a SOLDIER?”_

_“Ex-SOLDIER.” Cloud drew his Buster Sword and held it out in front of him._

_“Once a SOLDIER, always a SOLDIER, though not alas, very long.” The massive hologram of President Shinra said in mock sympathy. Tifa raised her fists with Barret raising his gun arm with targets locked on the hologram. “Accelerated cellular degradation being the most common cause of death by far.”_

_Cellular degradation? Death?_

_Tifa breathed and cast a worried glance at Cloud who appeared to be troubled slightly. It wasn’t like Cloud to allow enemies to get to him, but in his eyes there appeared to be confirmation in what the president was saying, which caused Tifa’s heart to break._

_“This is classified, of course, but every SOLDIER knows the truth.”_

_Cloud looked down before looking back at the hologram with resolve in his eyes. “...that’s right.”_

* * *

Ever since then, Tifa worried about Cloud’s health and wanted to keep an eye on him. Yet, now that they’re chasing after the man responsible for killing their families and destroying their home, it was more apparent than ever that she was going to need to be there for Cloud.

Yet, she struggled at times to see the light at the end of the tunnel. She felt listless and sleepless in constantly trying to find a place to call her home and never have that being taken away from her again. It seemed small in the grand scheme of themes, but Tifa just lost her home in the slums too after Shinra dropped the plate and crushed it effectively. 

While she personally sought revenge on Shinra for taking everything away again, Tifa couldn’t help but feel crushed by the number of innocent people who were killed or lost a loved one during the chaos. Shinra was after Avalanche and her role in that...she wondered if it was truly justifiable. Even if the corporation caused immeasurable suffering in her life. 

_How did it come to this?_ Tifa thought to herself. _Will I ever really be forgiven for my own selfishness?_

Chasing after Sephiroth brought a lot of old worries and insecurities back in the fighter, and whenever she thought about it, she worried about whether she’d lose the only connection she had left of her old life….and that connection was Cloud. 

_He seems so calm about everything...but I wonder what he’s been really feeling all this time._

“You know...it’s been a long time since we’ve been back home,” Tifa said. “I don’t know...what we might see.”

“I wouldn’t expect much, Tifa.” Cloud sighed. “It was completely destroyed, remember? The fire...Sephiroth pretty much left everything in ruin.”

“Right…” Tifa turned her attention back to the road. “Wishful thinking, I guess.” 

“It’s fine, Tifa. Really.” Cloud seemed to be sincere with what he was saying, and that made Tifa look on with a little less expectation. She was scared for what they might find, but she at least had friends who would be there right by her side.

_I’m with my friends...but why do I feel so alone?_ Tifa clenched her fists, not noticing that Cloud spotted this. He didn’t address it and instead slowly started pulling up to where the road would lead into the ruins of Nibelheim. 

“We’re here you guys.” Cloud unclicked his seat belt. The rest of Avalanche started yawning and stirring as they stretched. “Better get ready.” Soon, everyone got out of the buggy and let their legs stretch out after being crammed together in the backseat for so long. 

  
  


“That was a nice drive,” Aerith said dreamily. She then smoothed out her pink dress as Nanaki stretched his elongated body as far as he could go. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, though I much prefer traveling without being enclosed,” the beast replied. Aerith scratched behind his ears, causing him to sigh appreciatively. 

Yuffie punched the air several times, stretching her arms. “I’m ready to find me some new Materia!” She said with a wink. Cait Sith groaned. Barret swung his arms in circles and breathed in the air. 

“You know...this air is as clean as I’ve ever smelled it. Corel, we breathed in the coal dust and that was homey enough for all of us.” His eyes closed. “But, damn...the fresh mountain air? You kids be damn lucky.”

Tifa looked down at her red boots. “Well...that was before it all burned down the ground. But, I know what you mean, Barret. It’s good to be home...or at least, what’s left of it.”

“No way…” Tifa faced Cloud who looked disturbed. 

“Cloud?”

Suddenly, Cloud bolted towards the direction of the mountains and Tifa started chasing after him. “Cloud! What’s going on?!” But no words seemed to stop him as he kept running. Avalanche continued running after them as they tried to catch up to him. 

When he finally slowed down, Tifa caught up to him, trying to catch her breath. “Cloud...don’t...scare me like that...I thought maybe there were some monsters or something.”

She finished gulping down some air and felt her heartbeat return to normal. “OK, would you mind telling me what’s going on and why you started running?”

“Tifa.”

Annoyed, Tifa looked in front of her and the sight caught her off-guard in the most horrifying way. She gasped as she felt her legs shake and she felt herself slowly succumbing to an overwhelming sensation of confusion. There, at the foot of Mt. Nibel, their hometown was completely unscathed. 

The houses didn’t show any signs of burning, and they were still standing. Villagers were minding their own business and drawing water from the well while children were playing outside on the dirt paths. From the distance, it appeared that everything was normal and business as usual. 

Tifa and Cloud on the other hand were feeling dread at this. Something didn’t settle with them as they slowly pressed onward toward the village. When they entered Nibelheim, they weren’t prepared on what they would find. Avalanche, who caught up with the two of them, hung back and looked at each other as Cloud and Tifa took their first steps into town in five years. 

Yet, they didn’t walk into a graveyard of broken dreams and lives, it was their hometown. Exactly how it was before it burned to the ground that horrific and tragic night. Their home was still alive. 

There were villagers who eyed them warily as the strangely dressed group made their way to the square, where the iconic water tower stood. Tifa’s ruby eyes looked around, her facial expressions giving way to how she felt on the inside—fear.

They slowly entered the town, and while several of the villagers avoided making eye contact with the strange-looking group, some were quick to excuse themselves and run inside their residences. Tifa looked around. “Cloud...what’s going on here?”

“I don’t know, Tifa. We...we saw everything burn down. We lost our parents that night.” Cloud said. Suddenly, he gripped his forehead painfully and started groaning. Tifa quickly held him as he struggled through another episode. She didn’t really understand the full extent of his condition, but she silently stood there soothing him with her voice. 

“Hey buddy? You alright?” A gentleman wearing a sweatshirt and jeans came running over from the general store. “Do you need help?”

“No. No, I-I’m fine.” Cloud said, rejecting help from the man. He stood himself straight and looked around the square. “This place...was my hometown.” The man looked confused. “But, five years ago Sephiroth came and destroyed the village. He burned it to the ground, and slaughtered innocent people. There was no one left. I remember the heat of the flames, and the smell of blood.”

Tifa nodded. “I’m from here too...and I remember that night. My house was destroyed, and my papa was murdered. I barely escaped with my own life.” Their words must’ve struck the villager a certain way, as a strange expression wavered on his face as he turned around. 

“That’s sick what you’re saying. I don’t know who you guys are, but you’re not welcome here. Get lost!” The man started walking away. Tifa reached out her hand to stop him. 

“Please sir. We’re confused. We lived here our entire lives, we wouldn’t lie about that!” Tifa pleaded. “I lost my father that night, and the village, the only home I’ve ever known, was taken from me by Shinra. That’s the truth!” 

Suddenly, the man turned and shoved Tifa to the ground. She fell on her back, while Cloud appeared stunned. “Tifa!” He called out to her. She slowly sat herself upright, as the villager slowly made his way back to the General Store. 

“Dumb bitch,” he spat. “Don’t let me catch you wandering around here again. This is MY town. And we don’t like liars or people who claim this place to be theirs. Get the hell outta here before I show you exactly what it means to be messing with folks from these parts.”

Just as he made his way over to the General Store, Tifa looked up at Cloud who had an ever-shifting expression on his face. It was a look that Tifa recognized and a panicked feeling started rising in her chest as he slowly walked ahead toward a villager who shoved her. Tifa’s eyes widened. She quickly pulled herself up and ran after Cloud before he could make a huge mistake. 

“Cloud!” She called out after him. Cloud either didn’t hear her, or chose to ignore her pleas as he came up behind the villager who shoved her. “Cloud! Please—”

“Hey buddy, what do you—h-hey, wait!” Cloud slammed the guy up against the store exterior, his mako-blue eyes glowing intensely, just as they did when he was about to silence Johnny for almost spilling the secrets about Avalanche and their operations back in the now ruined Sector 7 Slums. 

“Cloud!” Tifa rushed forward, determined to intercept her childhood friend. She grabbed a hold of his arm that was over his shoulder. “Don’t!” 

Gripping the front of the man’s shirt, Cloud reached over to grab the hilt of his sword. Numerous villagers were now screaming and running about, a small crowd started gathering a little ways away from where they were standing, witnessing a potential murder taking place in broad daylight. 

“You think it’s funny shoving a girl?” Cloud whispered murderously. “She’s my best friend. She doesn’t lie. Neither do I. When I say I’m about to kill you for hurting her, do you wanna find out if I’m a liar then?” 

“P-please!” The man shouted. “I’m sorry!”

“Sorry ain’t gonna cut it.” Cloud was about to draw his sword when Tifa stopped him by running in front of the man, shielding him from her friend who appeared frustrated by her interference. 

“Tifa, let go!”

“Cloud! It’s not worth it. Let him go. Please!”

“He hurt you.”

“I know, but I’m alright! Really I am!” Tifa tried to talk him down. “It’s not worth wasting your energy or time trying to exact revenge on him!”

Suddenly, the small crowd of villagers surrounded Tifa and Cloud as well as the frightened man who looked as if he was about to piss himself. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” One shouted from the village square. “Who the hell are you?! What the hell is the matter with you?!”

“This town was burned down five years ago! What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with _you?!”_ Cloud shouted angrily at the group gathering in the middle of the square. “I grew up in this town. I left when I was 14 years old and came back when I was 16 and this place was in total ruin! Now you’re expecting me to believe that nothing happened?!”

“You’re sick, man,” A young woman said disgustedly, shaking her head. “I lived here my entire life, and I’ve never seen you before. It’s not good to lie, and to attack Jeremiah like that—”

“Who the hell is Jeremiah?!” Cloud snarled. He looked as if he was about to snap. Tifa helplessly stood to the side, witnessing her friend spiraling into rage. “I was born and raised here. This place was destroyed by Sephiroth five years ago! I’m not the liar. YOU are—”

“Cloud...stop.” He turned and found Tifa on the verge of tears. She shook her head. “It’s not worth it. Let it go.”

“Tifa—”

“I’m from here too...but it’s clear that no one remembers us, and we don’t remember them,” the fighter said, clasping her hands together. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we can’t waste time wondering why our hometown is still the way that it is. We both know the truth.” Her words seemed to do little to minimize Cloud’s anger, but he reluctantly turned away as the small crowd dispersed, cursing him under their breath. 

Just as the two turned around, the rest of Avalanche caught up with the both of them. Barret’s eyes were furrowed while Aerith and Yuffie looked on with confused expressions. Nanaki swished his tail, taking in the rest of the town with his amber-like eyes. 

“What the hell happened?” Barret asked roughly. He then took in the sights around the village and frowned. “Thought you said that this town was destroyed by Sephiroth? What are you playin’ at?”

“Cloud, what’s going on?” Aerith asked. “Tifa...I thought—”

“I thought so too, I _know_ it’s true,” Tifa said, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that...especially since I lost my father that night. I lost everything...Shinra did that.”

Cait Sith’s ears plastered against his robotic head and looked down at his gloves. “It’s a wee bit odd that you say that something happened, when clearly, it’s not the case here.” 

“Do you think Shinra has anything to do with this?” Barret said, motioning to Nibelheim and all the people who were clearly trying to avoid another confrontation that just occurred a few moments ago. “Smells like shit here.”

“It’s entirely possible,” Nanaki said, flicking his flame-lit tail. “But, I’m surprised that no one heard about what happened in Nibelheim. I didn’t, and I’m from Cosmo Canyon only a half-day’s drive from there. There was no mention of a burning or a massacre.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Cloud said flatly. “But, there’s no use in trying to get a hold of that information. We have to spend the night if we wanna cross Mt. Nibel and get back on Sephiroth’s trail.”

“I’ll go book some rooms at the inn,” Aerith said with a nod. She turned to Yuffie and Barret. “Wanna come?”

“I just wanna take a shower!” Yuffie declared. “I’ve been running around in the woods for so long, I just wanna be able to sleep in a normal bed.”

“I wouldn’t mind catchin’ some sleep either,” Barret said. He then turned to Tifa and Cloud who were both clearly disturbed and confused about what was happening in their hometown. “Well, I’ll leave you two to deal with your own shit then. Come to the inn when you’re ready to get this show goin’.”

The rest of Avalanche made their way to Gramp’s Inn, while Tifa looked at Cloud who seemed defeated. They were back in their hometown, and nothing made any sense. Yet, there was something that Tifa wanted to find out for herself and this was probably one of the few chances she had. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Cloud asked as Tifa headed across the square. “Tifa?”

Cursing himself, Cloud chased after her. 

* * *

The two natives of Nibelheim, stood in front of their childhood homes. Side by side, their lifestyles looked rather different even from just the exteriors. Tifa’s was a large house with multiple floors, while Cloud’s next door was a humble one-room cottage. 

“They’re still standing,” Tifa said, her eyes locked onto her house. “I-I can’t believe it.”

“I don’t either,” Cloud said, shaking his head. “Something feels really off about this. Tifa, maybe we shouldn’t...hey, wait!”

Tifa felt like she was under a trance. She crossed the front yard of her house and knocked on the front door. When no one answered, the woman then slowly turned the knob and opened the front door. “Tifa! What are you doing?” Cloud approached Tifa’s side. 

“It’s open. I’m going inside.”

“Tifa…”

“This is _my_ house,” Tifa said. “I need some answers. Are you coming or not?”

Without waiting to hear Cloud’s answer, she quickly ducked inside. Reluctantly, Cloud followed her inside. The entryway was just as Tifa remembered. It was rustic and welcoming and led into a large kitchen in the back. Tifa felt as if she was being haunted by ghosts as she examined every detail. 

“Tifa?”

“It’s just as I left it that night,” Tifa whispered. She looked at the various pictures that were hanging on the walls. They were of her as a child, along with her mother and father gathered around a birthday cake. She felt hot tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she looked at those pictures. 

“I was here...when Papa ran out of the house. I didn’t know what was happening. All I remembered was smelling smoke and there was this intense glow outside of the front window.” Tifa pointed to the entryway. “It was just me and Papa, then. I was getting supper on the table…”

“Tifa, this is a bad idea,” Cloud said. “We should leave.”

She then turned her attention to a flight of stairs on her right. Tifa ignored Cloud’s warnings and headed upstairs as if she was being led there by an unforeseen force. Cloud continued to follow Tifa, curious as to where she was going. 

Tifa walked into her old bedroom, Cloud following her. “Tifa?” The fighter didn’t listen. She stood in the center of her room, taking in all the haunted memories that kept threatening to bring her back down under. 

“You OK?”

“It’s just like I remembered…” The woman took several steps toward her bed, where her childhood bedspread was covering the top of the sheets. It was a mustard yellow with white flowers on them, a creation of her mother when she was still very young and very small. 

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Tifa said, looking up at Cloud. Her glove-covered fingers still tracing the hand-stitched seams of the blanket that felt delicate. “Everything was destroyed in the fire. My room and my house...Papa was gone. I didn’t know what was happening.”

Cloud shook his head. “I don’t remember much about what happened that night, Tifa.”

“I know.”

The Ex-SOLDIER looked at Tifa and was startled to see tears forming in her carmine eyes. Her thick eyelashes caught them like dewdrops. “Hey…” he said quietly. “You OK?”

“I’m sorry, give me a minute.” She turned around and wiped her eyes. Tifa felt weak and that was something she hated. Instead of being the tough warrior that she fought so hard to become, she somehow regressed into a little girl who was scared and helpless. 

“Tifa, it’s OK.”

“I know...I just don’t know what to make of all of this. It’s starting to get a little too much.”

“Let’s go then.”

That was when Tifa then saw the old piano standing upright against the wall, and the exposed keys glistening from the sunlight that was pouring through the large bay window. 

“Oh...my piano!” She stood up and pulled out the small bench. Tifa smiled and looked up at Cloud who was standing right next to her. “It was my mother’s. She taught me how to play.” But, the girl’s smile faltered slightly as she hesitated to press any of the keys. “I just don’t know if I remember how.”

“Don’t worry Tifa, it’ll come back to you.” Cloud encouraged Tifa to try playing anything. “Can you still read the sheet music? I see something on the stand.”

“Let me see…”

Tifa craned her neck close to the sheets and she nodded. “Yeah. I think…” She carefully pressed a note down on the ivory keys, and a beautiful note rang through the space. “I think I remember now.” Tifa lifted both hands and elegantly started playing a melody that filled the room. 

At first, Tifa seemed to be hesitant to play. But, Cloud could tell she was gaining confidence in herself as her fingers danced across the keys as if they too remembered a long forgotten song. She looked at Cloud, her eyes asking for permission to continue playing. 

He merely nodded as she continued playing with her fingers pressing down on the keys, her foot every now and then stepping on the foot pedals. Her ruby eyes were closed and a small smile crept onto her face. She was feeling the song that her childhood buried in the past. It was said that fingers had memory, and that even if you haven’t played in a long time, they’d remember the melodies and harmonies. 

Tifa opened her eyes after finishing with a soft chord and found that Cloud was leaning up against the piano, and appeared deep in thought. “What’s wrong?” She asked. “Did...did I play something wrong?”

“No! No. You were great, Tifa,” Cloud replied. He then paused. “It’s just, that’s the first time you’ve ever played for me on the piano. I forgot how good you were.”

“Oh? How would you know how good I was if I never played for you, silly?” Tifa teased, but soon regretted it as she saw something pass across Cloud’s face. A shadow of something that she never witnessed before: Regret? Sadness? Longing? “Is everything OK?”

Cloud took several steps toward Tifa’s large bay window that overlooked Nibelheim, and kept to himself. Tifa slowly rose from the piano and joined him there. The sun was starting to set, meaning the rest of Avalanche would soon be making their stay at Gramp’s Inn...or whoever that place belonged to now. She looked down at the dirt paths and where the villagers were chattering away as if nothing was out of place. 

“It’s funny...isn’t it?” Tifa said, sneaking a peek at Cloud. The ex-SOLDIER shifted his attention to her, a look of confusion settling onto his face. Tifa was a relieved to see that the sad expression on his face was replaced. 

“What is?”

“How home can feel not like home,” Tifa said. She stared out the window, and in the distance she could see the water tower where Cloud called her out that night during their youth. A known date spot for lovelorn teens, and yet, he still called her out there and promised her that he’d become a SOLDIER. That should anything happen to her, he’d come and save her.

“How even though you come back, and you see things exactly as it was...there’s still something about it that doesn’t feel the same. Like, you don’t remember ever living there anymore.”

“Yeah,” Cloud nodded. “I guess that’s one way to put it.” The mercenary sighed. “I know that night, when Mom died. The buildings were all engulfed in flames. There were people dead out on the street, either from blood loss after Sephiroth cut them down or from the smoke inhalation. Either way, I can’t see Nibelheim the way I used to...it’s not our home. We can’t go back.”

“Right.” Tifa looked resigned at this and sighed. “I lost everything. Papa...my home...I thought, I wouldn’t be able to make it. I don’t even know how I ended up in Midgar, but I just remembered that my family and my friends were all taken away from me.”

Her fists clenched tightly. “Shinra took everything from me, and they didn’t care. They didn’t care about the people who this would affect. Now, we don’t have a home, and on the run after the murderer who killed our family and destroyed our lives.”

Tifa felt a slight pressure on her shoulder, and found that Cloud had placed a comforting hand on it, his facial expression seemed unwavering despite Tifa’s feelings bubbling beneath the surface. 

“I feel so stupid,” Tifa said, shaking her head.

“Don’t be, Tifa. It’s fine.”

“No...do you know what this means?”

“What?”

“We’re the only two left from old Nibelheim,” Tifa said quietly. “We’re the only remnants of that time and that day. No one else in the world knows about what happened here. Just us. We’re completely alone, and we have no one to go home and be with. We have nothing left.”

“Tifa…”

Tifa then blushed and tried to avoid Cloud’s gaze. “Anyway, we should be going back. I’m sure the others are probably wondering if we’re coming back soon.”

“Right…”

Cloud cast a look out the window and watched several teens climbing on top of the water tower and a small smile appeared on the corners of his lips. “I remember the starry nights though...those, Shinra can never take away from anyone...not us.”

Tifa blushed at this and smiled. “I see you’ve noticed the water tower and the well on the way in here?”

“Kinda hard to miss, it’s right in the middle of town.”

“I know,” Tifa said. She paused. “You know...a lot of people go there for dates. Did you know that when you asked me to meet you there that night?”

She was surprised to see Cloud blush a deep red as he cleared his throat. “I mean, you do know that right?”

“I mean...it might’ve crossed my mind,” he responded surprisingly with a shy tone. “But, I was more surprised that you showed up. It was getting late and I was getting a little cold.”

“Well, you asked and I came. That’s how it works, doesn’t it?” Tifa said playfully, her eyes twinkling. “I just never thought I’d see you again after you went off to become a famous SOLDIER. Look at you now...Mr. First Class.”

Cloud smirked and looked down at his boots. “Well, it was a lot of hard work.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Tifa acknowledged. “I really admire you for that.”

“Really?”

“Really.” The bartender stretched. “You set out to fulfill your dreams and you got there. Not a lot of people take that risk, and that’s me included.”

“Tifa?”

“When you left for Midgar, I was pretty much trying to figure out my life. What I wanted to do, who I wanted to be...I wasn’t going to wear that ridiculous cowgirl outfit forever you know.”

The two chuckled at this. Cloud then muttered, “Well...you looked great in whatever you wore. Sad that we never really got to dress up for that outing in Midgar like you wanted.”

Tifa nodded sadly. “Well, I guess those plans will just have to be on hold until we take Sephiroth down, right? Doesn’t mean ‘never’ just postponed for the time being.”

Cloud ruffled the back of his head. “You know Tifa...back in Junon, I asked why we didn’t see each other when I came back to Nibelheim five years ago? It would’ve been really nice to see you.”

Tifa shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought we did...unless, you had a lot of things going on at the time.” She tried to convince herself of that anyways. “But, at least we’re together now. That’s what matters, right?”

“Right.” Cloud nodded. “Well, we should probably get going.”

The two friends took one last gaze out the bay window before heading down the stairs. Just as Tifa was about to leave her bedroom, Cloud stopped her. “Tifa?”

“Yes Cloud?”

“You’re wrong you know. About having nothing left.”

“Oh...I only meant…”

“You still have me.” Cloud said softly.

Tifa smiled.


End file.
